


Where Inspiration Comes From

by princessbilbo



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Teachers, Awkward Romance, Fluff, M/M, Romance, Romantic Fluff, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-29
Updated: 2020-01-17
Packaged: 2021-02-19 07:57:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22007686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/princessbilbo/pseuds/princessbilbo
Summary: Finn accepts the job as a teacher at Skywalker High School after spending years feeling trapped at his alma mater, Palpatine Military School. What he didn't expect was to find the man who inspired him to leave everything he knew and become the teacher he always dreamed of becoming to be teaching in the classroom right next door. Through Poe, Finn learns how to inspire his students and how to live life. And while Finn tries to keep the relationship professional, he can't help but feel a spark between them as he secretly hopes for more than just a friendship with the other teacher.
Relationships: Poe Dameron/Finn
Comments: 12
Kudos: 52





	1. Chapter 1: Leaving Everything He Knew

**Author's Note:**

> It has been years since I last wrote fan fiction, but after TROS, I couldn't help but write something about these two. I really wanted to find a fic that fit my specific needs and decided to write it myself. Let's see if I remember how to do this, and enjoy my AU about Poe and Finn, slowly falling in love.

“Alright, Finn. You can do this.”

Nerves coursed through Finn’s veins as he stood in his empty classroom. While he had been a teacher for a while, this was his first real class. A class where he had the freedom to teach the way he wanted, not a class where he had to follow a strict outline that he could never stray from. He could have fun and teach the way he wanted to.

For the last 5 years, Finn had been teaching at the Palpatine Military School. It was the boarding school he went to as a child, so it was all he had ever known. There was an order to everything. The students had to wake up exactly at 0500. They had to make their beds in the allotted amount of time. Breakfast was served exactly at 0600, and if anyone was late, they were not given any food for the day. The school even had requirements for fitness. Growth must be shown, or else you would be punished with detention or more work. There were rumors that students got injured during these detentions. The school was quick to sweep these rumors under the rug though. Finn, however, knew these rumors were true. Even after all these years, he could remember being “accidentally” hit by a teacher during practice.

Despite the fact he knew this school was a bad place in the back of his head, as an orphan, Palpatine Military School was his home, and it was the only place he had ever known. To him, it was normal. It was why he decided to become a teacher there, where he taught History. This place was the only one he knew, and despite the bad, it brought him comfort. The strict timetables were a warm blanket. The lesson plan he had to teach were the same ones he remembered learning as a child, and they became a hot cup of tea on a cold day. The bland food was all he could think of for his mother’s home cooking. This place was his home, and yet, the longer he stayed the more he felt out of place.

The Headmaster, an old classmate named Hux, pushed for stricter guidelines. He even demanded the teachers to live just as strict of lives as the students. There were no decorations allowed, not even in their personal offices or bedrooms. The pressure to be this perfect solider was always too much for Finn to bare, but as he taught and saw his students look more like robots than people, the need to escape grew on him.

The fear of leaving the school weighed heavily on him, though. Headmaster Hux would not-so-subtle inform his staff that if they even thought of leaving, he would ruin them in some shape or form. While the words were never spoken directly, the implication was always there. The fear pushed Finn to work through his fears, putting up with everything that he was starting to hate. From those seeds, though, animosity grew. Nightly, he went to bed, dreading the next day, finding new things to hate. In the morning, he woke up, fearing the day, despising his fellow staff and students, and hating himself for what he was doing. He wanted to love teaching since he loved learning as a child. Instead, he hated every waking moment of it.

One night, Finn felt like a spy as he opened his laptop and began to look for new jobs. Teaching was something he never wanted to give up, but he knew he had to leave this place that was draining the life from him. He didn’t think that Hux was spying on his laptop activity, or rather, he hoped that the Headmaster wasn’t. Deep in his gut, he knew the Headmaster would know every mouse movement and letter he typed. Even still, he decided to try and look for a new job. If Hux did question him, then Finn would think of something to cover it up.

“Oh! It was spam!” He would proclaim, which is why he made sure to put anything about job searching in his spam box. That would be good enough, hopefully.

On a whim, Finn decided to investigate Headmaster Hux’s least favorite school, Skywalker High School. As he clicked on the website, he could hear Hux ranting about the school in the back of his head. While the high school wasn’t a military school like Palpatine was, because they were in the same school district, they faced off in sports and academic pursuits. The rivalry drove Hux insane. At first, Skywalker was not even close to the same level of Palpatine. No one wanted to send their children to such a subpar school, not when every graduate of Palpatine went on to bigger and better things. Palpatine promised perfection. Skywalker promised a nourishing learning environment, which the staff of Palpatine was supposed to turn their noses up to.

It took a while, but in time, Skywalker High School began to move up the ladders. Their sports teams were beating others, and their grades were starting to even surpass those at Palpatine’s. The fact drove Hux up a wall. During staff meetings, Hux would lose his temper with them, screaming in their faces if anyone got below 95% on any assignment. The students were put into more classes to focus on studying, cutting out time to sleep, because being better than the rest was far more important than sleep.

Finn knew it would only be a matter of time before the students broke, and he knew that this nourishing learning environment that Skywalker promised, whatever that meant, was what he was looking for in a school.

While scrolling through the website, he found photos of so many students smiling. Here at Palpatine, there was not a single photo of the students smiling. In fact, Finn couldn’t even remember a time he smiled as a child or as an adult. If he did, he would probably look crazy.

Everyone just looked like they were having so much fun, and fun and school was never something that he put together. They were supposed to be two different things. And, according to Hux, fun could only be had once you were basically dead because life was work, nothing more. Yet, here were all these photos of students smiling. He even found photos of teachers and students together, laughing. It was almost as if the staff and the students were on friendly terms, which made no sense to Finn. It was such an alien concept to him that he found it nearly impossible to wrap his head around it. The only reason why he believed it was because he wanted it to be true.

For a moment, he stopped on a photo of a teacher and his class. The man had short dark hair that looked like he hadn’t combed it in days. He was leaning down so that Finn was only able to see part of his face. The teacher was pointing at something on the student’s desk. The student seemed to be in the middle of laughing as she was writing something. While the sight was foreign to him, a teacher and student laughing in class together, Finn found himself caught on the teacher’s smile. He couldn’t see the teacher’s full face, but he could see the joy radiating off him. The teacher’s bright smile lit up his face and could even be seen in his eyes.

Finn scrolled down for a moment only to scroll back up to look at the teacher. He had never seen so much joy in one photo, and Finn wanted that. He wanted to be that kind of teacher: laughing with his students. Without realizing it, Finn reached out and touched the screen of his computer, fingers gliding off the teacher’s hair. A moment of peace crossed through him. His creased brow relaxed, and he could even feel his scowl release. Whoever this man in the picture was, Finn wanted to be him and seeing him made him even more confident in leaving Palpatine.

As quickly as he could, Finn sent out his resume to the school. He wasn’t exactly sure if they were looking for new teachers, but Finn didn’t care. He wanted to be where that other teacher was and doing what he was doing, and Skywalker High School was the way for him to do just that.

Amazingly enough, the very next day, Finn received a reply from the Principal herself, Leia Skywalker. He read her reply and saw that she loved his resume and would love a chance to sit and chat with him about his interest in the school. Finn wasn’t sure what he was supposed to feel, but he certainly felt nervous: the bad and good kind. He felt like he was going to be murdered by Hux, but he also felt like this was finally his time to escape, to be free from this place. He knew he had to do it, though. He was so close to leaving this place and finding happiness. He wasn’t going to let it slip through his fingers now.

After a quick reply, which he hoped wasn’t too quick, Finn set up a time and day to go to the school and meet with Leia. Luckily for him, the school was going on break soon, a fact that Hux hated, so he had some free time to work it. While Finn could leave the school’s property during these breaks, Finn never did. He was too nervous to really leave. Instead, he spent his time training his mind and body, as he did as a child. Now he was going to leave and try to find a new job. It was the scariest thing he had ever done.

He was surprised by how easy it was to just leave the property and make his way over to Skywalker High School. He wore an odd amount of clothing to cover up, trying to make sure no one recognized him. Finn was still under the impression that someone would be following him and reporting his every action to Hux. His hope would be that Hux would even care.

When meeting with the principal, he felt at ease. Leia Skywalker was sarcastic and snarky, but he found it charming and calming. It made him nervous because it was his first time interacting with someone like her before, but he found that he enjoyed it. Behind her snark was a kindness that he admired. She didn’t question him about what Palpatine was like. Instead, she focused on his work, and she was impressed by his work ethic and passion. She even took a moment to ask him about his favorite time period to teach about. Soon this quick meeting turned into an hour, to two, as Finn talked about history. He talked about how much history has impacted his life, and how learning about the past can help him understand the present, and even the future.

Passion poured out of him, like a cup overflowing with water. He spoke of how wars were started and ended, of Senators and relationships between countries, of how every other subject could be tied back to history, and how people claimed it was boring, but really, it was so fascinating, and he wanted to see students be just as passionate about it as he was.

Finn thought his heart would be racing from nerves during this whole conversation. Instead, he found that his nerves were put at ease around the principal. Instead of having a Headmaster who would rather listen to himself speak, Leia sat there nodding along with everything Finn was saying, fascinated with his speech. Not once did she interrupt him to make a claim that she knew more, which was a habit of Hux. She only joined in when she remembered specifics of a certain topic she too enjoyed. It made Finn feel like he was talking to a friend, not a superior, which was an odd feeling within itself, seeing how he was realizing he never had friends.

Listening to him caused Leia to smile. This is what she wanted in her teachers. Not just the passion for teaching, but a passion for the subject, and wanting to draw that passion out from their students. That explanation was why she offered the job the Finn. So, in turn, he accepted the job right then and there.

One thing he did ask about, though, was the picture on the website that drew his attention so much. It was such a simple picture, but he still couldn’t stop thinking about it, which he didn’t inform Leia of. He just wanted to know if that was what it was like teaching here, and not just a posed photo for the publicity.

For a moment, Leia thought about the photo he was speaking of. Her lips pressed together as she thought of the photos that were on the page. She was never one to hide things and wanted to make sure everything the school had to offer was on the page: from classes, extracurricular activities, and even experiences, which included what the students experienced every day in the classroom with their teachers.

“Ah! Do you mean the photo of Mr. Dameron and Kaydel? Yes, Mr. Dameron is one of our more popular teachers here. He has such a good relationship with the students that we had to feature it on the site. You’ll find that that is what it’s like here at Skywalker High. We are far more relaxed than what you’re used to, but I think you’ll find that we all have the same kind of passion you do.”

With his lips pressed together, Finn gave a weak smile, which was all he felt comfortable doing. “That sounds great.”

_Mr. Dameron_ , Finn thought to himself. He wanted to remember the name of the teacher whose photo left such an impact on him. That was whom he wanted to be like; his end goal. He wanted to be a teacher like Mr. Dameron.

“Well, we will begin the paperwork to have to transfer over to here, Mr. Severn. We are excited to have you start teaching.”

* * *

It took some time, but finally, the paperwork was put through. It involved Hux silently boiling over losing a teacher, but Finn made sure that his fear wasn’t noticeable. He could feel his hands trembling, so he held them tightly behind his back. For some reason, the silent anger was scarier to Finn than the times when Hux yelled at him. Finn found himself wishing that Hux would just yell at him instead.

“Perhaps this is for the best,” Hux said, as he finished the paperwork, “You were one of our worst teachers.”

“Y-Yes sir,” was all Finn could think to say, though the comment insulted him.

“Now. Get out of my face.”

Hux handed over the paperwork that officially said Finn was no longer a teacher at Palpatine Military School. Then, with a quick salute and an about-face, Finn left the office and head to his personal quarters where everything he owns was packed away in two simple suitcases.

Finn was lucky enough to find a new place nearby. It would be the first time he would be living on his own, and while the experience scared him, he found more excitement in it than anything else. He was finally going to have the freedom he once dreamt about. He could eat whenever he felt like it. He could watch shows on TV whenever he wanted. He could even go to bed whenever he wanted! All these things brought him so much joy that he could feel the smile starting to form. Since he was still on the property though, he tried to suppress the smile, cause him to appear as if he just ate a lemon. It was an odd expression to behold.

Unpacking took no time in his new single room apartment. It was small but reminded him a lot of his quarters are Palpatine. The entrance lead right into the kitchen area, which only held an oven, refrigerator, and a sink. There was a little bar that served as the only counter space. It led right into the dining room and living room. Two doors were found in this room, one was a closet, and the other led into the bedroom that was connected to a small bathroom that held a shower, toilet, and sink. Amazingly, it was bigger than his quarters, due to the kitchen unit, but it was more than enough space for him. He didn’t have a lot to fill the space as-is. Plus, anything bigger would probably set him into full panic mode. The small space was perfect for him. It meant freedom.

Finally, it was time for his first day at school. Classes were going to start in a week, so he had a week to get everything together.

The whole time he was in his apartment, he found he kept the same schedule as he did at Palpatine. Up at 0500, a jog and some exercise, breakfast at 0600, and then working on lesson plans for the rest of the day. He tried his best to make sure he followed the criteria that Leia sent out, but he also reminded himself constantly that he had more freedom. This led to him writing, throwing away, rewriting, throwing away, and rewriting again, many different lesson plans. He even spent some time online trying to come up with ideas.

For so long, Finn craved freedom, but he was discovering that freedom was a very scary thing. The worry of doing this correctly was starting to paralyze him, but he tried his best to push through. He didn’t work so hard for this freedom only to be scared off now. It may have given him some sleepless nights, but he knew it was going to be worth it in the end.

Before he knew it, it was a week before school started, which means he was finally able to start in his classroom. The room was completely empty of decorations, which was what he was used to, but he took the time to gather some supplies he thought may be cool. 

At Palpatine, he wasn’t allowed to decorate the classroom, it was too distracting for the students, according to the rules. Finn didn’t believe that though. He wanted a chance to show off his student’s work in the future.

He grabbed a banner that read “ _You’re a STAR!”_ Complete with a star shape instead of an _A_. It went right above a bulletin board, where he was planning to post everything his students make. The thought of showing off his students work brought a smile to his face. It made his cheeks hurt from using muscles that were rarely used, but the giddiness inside him needed to come out somehow.

He was 100% going to become the “cool” teacher, like that Mr. Dameron.

“You know, you’re teaching high schoolers, not kindergarteners, right?”

The voice surprised Finn, causing him to jump and gasp. He turned around and saw someone standing in the doorway of his classroom.

Right away, Finn recognized the man that was standing there. He didn’t spend hours looking at his face in that photo on the school website to not recognize it the second he saw it in person. Now Finn could see his whole face, though.

Before him stood Mr. Dameron. The smile that was on his face wasn’t the same one that was in the photo. This smile was more of a smirk, and yet, it was still just as charming as his smile. His dark eyes locked onto Finn’s, and he could see the playfulness that rested behind them as if he always held that smirk within them.

One thing the photo didn’t show was how muscular Mr. Dameron was. Right now, his sleeves were rolled up, and his forearms were on full displayed as he crossed his arms over his chest. It was almost distracting. Expect, Finn found one other thing far more distracting, and it was his hair. Mr. Dameron’s hair was a curly mess atop his head. Finn noted that earlier in the photo, but it was so out of place for him. Everyone had to look certain was at Palpatine, and that curly, messy hair would not have been allowed there.

Mr. Dameron noted how Finn was staring and finally gave him the warm smile that Finn originally saw in the photo. He felt his breath catch in upon seeing the smile in person. It was as beautiful as he imagined, now that he could see the full smile in person.

The other man gave Finn a small wave in greeting and finally spoke again, filling the awkward silence, “Hey. Heard you were a fan.” 


	2. He Who Inspires

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meet Poe, the guy who always pushes himself to be the best. He pushes himself to better, but sometimes it gets to be too much. Leia happily reminds him of how he inspires his students, and now, a brand new teacher at school, who happens to be kinda cute.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter two! With school starting soon, I wanted to get a few chapters out beforehand, because once school starts, I will have my full-time job as well, so I will probably only be doing a chapter a month. I just wanted people to know where the story is going, and also get a feel if people want to read this story. Thanks, everyone!

The bar was a relatively empty place, but then again, it was still a bit early for a crowd to come in. But that was where Poe found himself. He grabbed a table, his glass of whiskey, and took a seat. There was some chatter coming from the patrons that were there, but it wasn’t very loud. It was crowded enough to be ignored but busy enough to use the chit-chat as white noise.

It wasn’t like Poe was having a bad day, but after a whole day of lesson planning, he needed a break. He worked hard to find ways to inspire his students to be interested in these dead authors, and sometimes it drove him up a wall because he barely found them interesting. Sometimes even he found their outdated views annoying. He had to teach his students, though, and he refused to be boring, not when some of the things they had to read were so boring.

His finger ran along the edge of his glass, as the ice inside shifted as they melted. He got the drink, but looking at it now, he wasn’t exactly in the mood. The whiskey was just a force of habit. Plus, he felt bad to just sit in the bar and not buy something. If he was going to take up a seat, then he was going to buy something.

Alone with his thoughts, Poe just let his mind wander. If his mind ever went towards anything school-related, he just took a moment to yell at himself and think about something else. From random things like cakes or cats, to what he was watching on Netflix right now.

Those were the only things he would let himself think about. Instead, he just kept thinking about what he was going to teach this upcoming year and any new and interesting way he can gain the students’ invested in his lessons. He was too married to his job, and no matter what he did, he couldn’t keep his mind off it.

“Are you going to need a sippy cup for that drink?” A familiar voice broke through his thoughts.

He looked up, and before him stood his school principal. She looked regal as ever, which always threw him off. For years, Poe had been working for Leia, and he had seen through so many ups and downs as she ran the school. He believed in it though and stuck with her through it all. Like her, he wanted to see the school succeed, and it was.

Memories flooded back as he remembered Leia being his professor. He remembered her talking about the school that her brother wanted to open, and how she was planning on working there. He remembered her offering him a job, even though he was struggling. She believed in him when no one else did, so, of course, he took her offer.

Poe was never used to people believing in him. Sure, he put up a brave face and was pretty cocky, but that façade hid a lot. It hid his insecurities about being perfect. His snark, charm, sarcasm, and drive always made it seem like Poe knew exactly what he was doing at every moment, every day, but really, he was just as lost as everyone else. He made sure that he always appeared that he was put together, even though he rarely was. It was the confidence that he pretended he had that made him feel like he could do anything. Fooling everyone helped too since they believed he could do anything and everything, then he believed it too.

Leia was one of his biggest supporters, too. She also saw right through every façade he put up and didn’t hesitate to call him out on it. While he acted like the coolest teacher to walk the halls, Leia reminded him why he was there. He wasn’t there to be cool. He was there to make the kids feel cool like they could do anything.

“Naw, I’m just not in the mood. You want it?” He asked, pushing the glass over to his mentor.

Leia looked down at the glass and took a seat across from him. For a moment longer, she eyed the whiskey, and then she finally decided to take it.

“I suppose I shouldn’t say no to a free drink, but don’t think that I’m going easy on you this year.” She said, lifting the glass to him before taking a sip of it.

“Wouldn’t expect anything less.”

“So, what’s on your mind anyway?” She asked.

Poe was never one to hide his emotions; they were always there right on his sleeve. It has gotten him into trouble a few times, but he never cared. There was no point to hide them, in his opinion. And, there was no point in lying to Leia right now. She would be able to read him like a book. After being his teacher, his mentor, and his boss, she could tell when he was lying, even before he could speak. She knew him better than his mother.

“Same old, same old,” He admitted. “Just stressed about the new year. And you know me. The last thing I wanna do is teach the same lesson again. It’s hard to keep things fresh.”

“And yet, you find a way,” Leia noted.

“I do, but it doesn’t mean it’s easy. Each year comes with new struggles. Kids always find a new distraction and grabbing their attention is just getting’ harder and harder.”

“But you’re online just as much as the kids are, so you know exactly how to connect with them.”

That pressure always got to him. He was perceived as perfect, so he always had to be perfect. Any slip up meant he was a complete and utter failure. He knew this feeling wasn’t pressure Leia was putting on him, but he as putting it on himself.

“What if I can’t though? What if this is the year that I let those kids down and bore them? I don’t want them to hate this. School sucks, and I don’t want them dreading coming to my class.”

The confession did not come as a surprise to Leia. It was one she had heard often and even had herself. So, she knew where Poe was coming from, even though she knew that he had nothing to worry about.

“You know,” Leia finished the drink, setting the empty cup on the table. “We’re getting a new teacher next year?”

Poe’s interest was piqued.

“I interviewed him the other day, and we are going to take him on as the new History teacher. Twelfth grade, like you. He was great, but one thing caught my attention more than anything. I asked him why he wanted to join us, and you wouldn’t believe what he said.”

“What was that?” Poe asked.

“Well, he comes from Palpatine, so, I was surprised he wanted to leave. Better pay. A place to live. Free food. I mean, we are a serious downgrade here, and yet he wanted to come and teach with us for one reason, and one reason only.”

She eyed Poe as if she wanted him to piece things together himself. Sadly, the teacher wasn’t able to piece it all together as she wanted. Instead, he was just left confused.

“What? He hated beating the students?” Poe voiced one of the many rumors about the school.

“He probably does, but that’s not what he said. He said he was looking at other schools when he came across ours and your photo.”

Poe’s eyebrows knotted together in confusion, “What? What photo?”

Leia pulled out her phone and pulled up the school’s website. It took some time, and she asked him to wait a moment, but in no time, she pulled up the photo. She put the phone on the table to slide it towards him. Poe picked it up and saw the photo of him and Kaydel. He was leaning down, sleeves rolled up, and smiling down on whatever she was working on. Kaydel was clearing laughing at something he was saying, but he couldn’t remember exactly what. He couldn’t even remember the photo being taken, though he knew it was this past year.

“What? How does this inspire anyone?”

“Yeah. He saw this photo and wanted what you have with your students, according to him.”

“Laughter?” Poe asked in disbelief.

“Connection,” Leia corrected him. “You have this connection with your students that other teachers dream about. You can stand there, and your students will listen. You understand them. Poe, you’re a great teacher, and everyone can see that. You don’t even have to try, and you inspire them. And now, just a photo can inspire others to do what you do. You’re sitting here, stressed out over your lesson plans, which you’re starting so early, by the way, but you don’t need to be. You’re going to have a great year, Poe. And now, kids aren’t going to just excel in your class, but in Finn’s class too.”

“Finn? That’s his name?”

“Yup. I know you’re gonna like him too. He wanted to inspire his students and, well, be like you, even without knowing you. I think he’s going to be great with us.”

“You sound pretty sure,” Poe said.

“I am. You do great work, Poe. I know you’re nervous, but every year you get these nerves, and every year, you connect with those kids and help them. You get them to love learning, and I know these kids, a lot of them do  _ not _ want to learn anything. You understand them, and it shows with how much they respect you. Be nervous, that’s fine, but don’t forget about all the good work you’ve done. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel every single year, Poe. You’re already doing something right by being you, so just keep being you. Plus, you have all summer! You don’t need to have everything planned out right now.”

“Hey! I want a summer. If I get it done now…” He didn’t finish his sentence; he just eyed Leia to finish the sentence herself.

“Ah yes. Your hobbies.” She let out a laugh and shook her head. “Whatever you do this summer, I look forward to seeing it this upcoming fall.”

With that Leia stood up. “Now, are you going to sit here sulking for the rest of the night? Or are you going to go check on your roommate?”

Poe took a moment to check his phone and the time. “Shit. He’s gonna kill me.”

Quickly, Poe grabbed his wallet and put some money on the table, “Have another on me. See ya!”

Leia gave her teacher a wave as he left the bar and headed home. 

With help from an Uber, Poe got home in no time. Taking the key to his apartment out, Poe opened the door. Right away, he heard the familiar mew of his cat, who walked up to the door and stood up on his back paws, as if he was asking to be picked up.

“Of course!” Poe reached down to pick up his orange cat and kissed the cat on the top of his head. “How are you doing, BeBe?”

The cat mewed back, rubbing his head against the scruff of Poe’s chin as Poe adjusted BeBe’s position in his arms.

“Oh yeah? Tell me what you did today.”

BeBe meowed back, and Poe continued to hold a conversation with his pet cat as he made his way toward the kitchen to feed his cat.

Poe was never the neatest person, but he tried not to be too messy. Life with a cat meant he kept his place relatively clean, not for him, but to make sure that his cat had a safe place to live. He still had a pile of dirty clothes, and then a pile of clean clothes on a chair in his room that he was too lazy to put away.

Adorning his walls were posters from all his favorite movies, which was pretty crowded because Poe thoroughly enjoyed movies. Scattered with those posters were random photos of Poe’s life, many of which were of him and BeBe in matching sweaters or other random moments of their lives together. One of the proudest photos he owned was of him and BeBe together. It was a cheesy photo and looked like a 1980’s photoshoot where there was a one-shot of them looking at the camera and a faded shot looking out into the distance. They even had a photoshopped starry sky background in the photo. Honestly, Poe would get it printed on a blanket if he had the money. Until then, he had a framed photo on the wall, one in his wallet, and, of course, one at school, so he can look at when he was stressed out.

His place was well live in and seeing how he had been living in there alone for around ten years now, it showed. In the course of those ten years, he never really bought anything new for his place. For the most part, he tried to fix things that broke himself or asked someone else for help to fix it.

Poe planted a kiss on the top of BeBe’s head before setting him down to feed him.

“Apparently, your dad is a big deal,” Poe said as he grabbed a can of food for BeBe.

In reply, BeBe jumped up onto the countertop, a habit that Poe tried to break, but ended up realizing that he didn’t care. His cat was his only companion here, so why not just share the table with his roommate?

The orange cat pawed at his bowl, impatient for his food.

“It’s coming! It’s coming!” Poe started to pour the food. “You know, you told me all about your day. The least you can do is let me tell you about mine.”

Once his food was in his bowl, BeBe walked around to nuzzle against Poe’s cheek and chin. The affection brought a smile to Poe’s face.

“OK. OK. I’ll tell you,” Poe chuckled. “Well, I saw Leia at the bar tonight. I know, not a surprise. But apparently, she hired a new history teacher, and you’re never gonna believe this, but he saw my photo on the website and new that Skywalker was the school he had to teach at. I heard he is coming from that military academy, so he is gonna be stuck-up. Leia says he won’t be but come on! Working at that school and then coming here? The poor kids. I know you’re gonna love hearing me complain about him for the whole year.”

BeBe was already ignoring his father. There was food in front of him after all, and Poe couldn’t blame him. He would ignore someone for food too. He ran his hand across BeBe’s back, down his tail, and stepped away to grab a snack for himself before heading towards his computer to work on some lesson plans for the upcoming year.

“I guess I better start on these now. Won’t have time when that new teacher there.”

Poe was driven to get through his lesson plans. While he inspired this new guy, this stranger to him inspired him to get everything done. His fingers flew across the keyboard as he planned out the new school year. Luckily for him, he could use a lot of the things he used in the past, but he liked keeping things fresh. He had a reputation to keep up, after all. He was  _ the _ cool teacher. He was the one all the kids wanted to have, and the one all the teachers wanted to be.

Now that his lesson plans were pretty much ready to go, except for the random bumps and surprises that come along every year that he in no way would be able to predict, he just had to decorate his class. Summer meant some deep cleaning. The head custodian claimed he did the work himself, but Poe was sure the man used his own children to help him out. Though, Poe couldn’t blame him for the free labor.

There was always a pleasure in simplicity, and that is what Poe did for his classroom. His decorations were minimal, seeing how the only important thing that  _ had  _ to be there was his picture of him and BeBe.

As the English teacher, Poe put up some of his favorite books to movie posters; he was a movie fan, after all. He loved connecting to his students through movies, TV shows, and even YouTube videos. It was how he made things click for them, and he loved seeing their faces when something finally clicked for his students.

In the middle of a small break for a cup of coffee, he heard shuffling coming from the room next to him. There was a loud clap, which made Poe jump, and then back to shuffling. The only thing Poe could think that was his new neighbor was finally in and getting his classroom ready for the school year as well. It seemed like it was finally time to meet this new teacher Leia told him all about those months ago.

After locking his computer, Poe got up to finally see who this guy was. If he was being honest with himself, Poe couldn’t stop thinking about this guy all summer. He knew nothing about him. It was all too much to know that he inspired someone to come teach at this school, so Poe needed to know who exactly this guy was.

Walking to the room, he stopped in the doorway to see his new neighbor. He stood in the doorway, leaning against it and crossing his arms over his chest. Poe looked at the new teacher. He was trying so hard, which meant he was failing just as hard. Poe’s eyes traveled from the teacher to the sign he was putting up.

_ “’You’re a STAR!’ Really?” _ Poe thought.

It took everything in him not to break out laughing. The kids were great, but if they saw that, there would be no saving this guy. He would be eaten alive, and Poe wanted to make sure that never happened.

“You know, you’re teaching high schoolers, not kindergarteners, right?”

Poe watched his new coworker jump as he turned to face him. It was then when he finally got a good look at him. Leia said he was handsome, but she didn’t say how handsome. He was almost taken aback. For some reason, Poe was thinking he would be this older guy that was all angles, but the man before him wasn’t. This other teacher had this strong chin and great cheekbones. There was an adorable expression on his face too. It was confusing and really cute.

He blinked, realizing that he was taking a moment to long admiring his new coworker. Luckily for him, it looked like the new guy was scared speechless and staring right back at Poe, so he was sure that he didn’t think Poe was admiring him. There was some fear there, which sadden Poe. He didn’t want to scare the new guy, but Poe couldn’t get over how cute he looked with that expression. All that confusion and fear was right there in his eyes, which Poe had to admit were nice. Now was not the time to think about that though. Now was the time to save this poor guy.

With a small wave and a smile, Poe stood up and took a step towards the new guy. “Hey. Heard you were a fan.”

It was almost comical watching him stumble. The new guy seemed to be tongue-tied at the sight of Poe, which gave the English teacher a minor ego boost.

“Poe.” He reached out a hand when he got close enough to the other teacher.

There was an awkward moment as the new teacher just stared at Poe’s hand. He never saw himself as a celebrity before, but maybe Poe was now, which was pretty cool. It took a moment, but the handsome man before Poe finally took his hand in greeting.

“Oh. Um, I’m Finn. Finn Severn.” He finally introduced himself.

“Nice to meet you, Finn. I’m Poe –”

“Dameron?” Finn finished his introduction.

“Yup. That’s right. Leia told me that she spoke to you about me. She told me a bit about you too.” Poe said.

“She… she told you about me?” Finn stumbled over his words, which Poe found so charming. 

“Yeah. Apparently, you asked about me in your interview. Some photos you saw?”

“Wait. She told you that?” Embarrassment washed over Finn’s face.

Poe couldn’t help but chuckle, “She did. I didn’t even know that the photo was on the website. But I’m happy it was because she told me it inspired you to come here. Skywalker is a great school. Way better than that military school. I know you’re gonna like it here. I mean, I love it here.”

“Yeah. Seeing that photo of you so happy with your student was… well, I want that. I want to be the cool teacher that inspires their students. I want to laugh with my students and have fun teaching. Palpatine didn’t really offer that.”

“I bet. Though, you gotta take that sign down.  _ ’You’re a STAR!?’ _ Really? The kids are gonna see this and just laugh at you behind your back, and a few to your face.”

“Oh. I thought it was cute.” Finn admitted, disappointed that his idea wasn’t perfect.

“Come on. Don’t be sad. It doesn’t suit you.” Poe offered Finn a pat on the back. “I’ll help you decorate this week. Make sure you’re as cool as I am.”

Poe offered Finn a wink before heading over to the sign that Finn just put up and took it down.

There was an odd sensation that ran through Finn because of that wink. He was so flustered and embarrassed, but he was also excited. Finn knew it was silly to let a photo dictate how he felt about someone, but that photo was Finn’s dream as a teacher come true. And now that person in that photo was going to help him become the teacher Finn had always wanted to be.


	3. Forming Bonds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poe helps Finn get his classroom ready for the school year as they get to know each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was supposed to be much longer, but I decided to split it into two chapters, so another chapter may be coming way sooner than later. Afterward, chapters are going to become slower as I focus on work and some real-life things, but please leave some kudos and comments if you are enjoying it so far! It helps keep me motivated to keep writing! Thanks for all your support thus far!

Finn’s classroom had a view of the street and the front of the school. There, Finn found himself looking out at the students that were walking in. It was odd to see that none of them were in uniforms, but he knew that this would happen.

“Whatcha lookin’ at?” Poe asked.

Behind him stood Poe, who had been helping decorate Finn’s room for the last two days. The two made Finn’s room feel far more inviting than the classrooms at Palpatine. Sure, the walls were still white, but with corkboards everywhere, it was easy to decorate and make unique. Right now, they were empty, but throughout the year, they would be full of his student’s work, and fun things along the way. One thing Poe taught him was that it didn’t have to be just his students’ works, but just the things he liked. It didn’t matter. It was his classroom, after all.

Finn noticed the mugs in Poe’s hands. A moment earlier, Poe said he was going to grab a cup of coffee from the teacher’s lounge, and it seemed like he had returned with two since Finn could see the steam rising from them. One mug looked almost homemade. It wasn’t a perfect circle and had some imperfections in it. Still, it was nice, painted tan with gold at the rim of the mug. The other was plain white with what looked like the Starbucks logo, but instead of the iconic mermaid, it was the Stay-Puff Marshmallow Man. That cup was clearly Poe’s, who mentioned his love of movies.

“The students coming in,” Finn answered.

Poe made his way over to Finn, who was sitting on the counter space beside the window. Right away, he placed both mugs down, and Finn reached over to grab the handmade-looking mug.

“What are you doing?” Poe asked.

Taken aback, Finn quickly drew his hand away, “Oh! Um, I just thought you brought that for me.”

For a moment, Poe tried to look insulted, but he couldn’t hold the expression for long. Soon his serious expression broke and he began to laugh.

“I did! I did! I’m surprised you knew which cup I brought for you though.”

“Well,” Finn felt so nervous suddenly, “You did say that you loved movies, and it is closer to me, so, I just thought.”

“Fair. Though you might want to get your own mug, or three, to keep in the lounge. Not sure who this one belongs to, but we can just wash it out, and it’ll be fine.” Poe shrugged, “But the kids finally coming in?”

Poe drifted back to the conversation at hand. He took a seat beside Finn, and with one hand holding up his mug, he leaned on this other to look out at the students walking in.

“What are they doing here?” Finn asked.

“Oh, yeah. You’re not used to this are you?” Poe asked, but didn’t wait for an answer, “Before they actually start classes, they come in to take their photos for their school IDs and get their class schedule. The school has a lot of students, so we spread it out to get everyone in. It started two weeks ago, but today and tomorrow the seniors come in to get everything. What did Palpatine do?”

While Poe spoke, Finn watched the students. Some of them ran up to one another to hug in greeting. They stopped for a moment to take a selfie together before walking onto the school’s grounds to get all their school paperwork. He turned to noticed how close Poe was. Finn didn’t realize that Poe leaned over to get a better view of the students during his explanation. It also seemed that Poe didn’t realize how close he got to Finn.

Finn’s eyes drifted towards Poe’s face. The other teacher wore such a relaxed expression on his face, with a small smile on his lips. He looked so proud and calm. Here Finn was, nerves running through his body, causing his heart to race. Though, in this exact moment, he wasn’t sure if it was just his nerves getting to him.

To cover his long pause, Finn grabbed his mug and took a sip of his coffee. It was far too sweet for Finn’s taste, but he didn’t want to complain to Poe, who noticed the long pause and looked over at Finn. His eyebrows lifted in interest, waiting for Finn.

“Because we were a boarding school, and much smaller than this one, we just sent everything to their rooms. Then their ID photos were taken on the first day. Classes were short that day because it was just going over the syllabus, so there was another period for them to take their ID photos. It meant everyone was in their uniform too, so it was quick and easy.”

“Hmm…” Poe nodded, “Not that crazy. I honestly thought you were going to tell me that everyone was psychic or something.”

From below, both heard some students yelling up at Poe, calling him out by his last name. In response, Poe gave them a small wave as he took another sip of his coffee.

“Don’t you teach seniors?” Finn asked.

“Yeah, why?”

“How do they know you? I mean, shouldn’t your students be gone now?”

“I mean, yeah, but I don’t just teach seniors. I oversee some clubs and teach some electives that sophomores and juniors can take.” Poe said.

The confusion on Finn’s face didn’t really surprise Poe. He knew that in public schools, teachers taught more than one subject to help make sure to cover everything. Finn probably wasn’t used to hearing that. All the teachers at Palpatine probably only taught their one subject and nothing else. All Poe could think was that it must be nice to have the money to do that.

“Am I supposed to teach other subjects?” Finn’s nerves were clearly getting to him.

“Probably not this year, but maybe?” Poe shrugged, “Who knows. Though, you might want to start a club. We had a History club before. Maybe we can have one again. It’s a great way to raise money for things like books.”

“Why would we need to raise money for books?”

“You seriously have no idea how public schools work, do you? I mean, you already knew to buy your own decorations, but you know that we have to buy our own supplies sometimes, right? Sometimes that means getting enough money to get the school to buy up-to-date books. Comes with the public-school territory. We don’t have rich parents donating money to make sure we have all the cool new toys. We gotta do it ourselves.”

Finn was completely speechless upon hearing this. He knew that public schools didn’t have it easy, but he hadn’t realized how difficult it was to be a teacher in a public school. However, not for one moment did he regret coming here. He knew this was the right move for him. Sure, it meant less pay, and now this, but anything was better than the difficulties that were brought into his life because of Palpatine. He never wanted to go back there, no matter what luxuries they had.

“Regretting the move?” Poe asked.

“Not even a little.” Finn quickly replied.

“Really? Your look of horror says otherwise,” Poe pointed to Finn’s face with the mug still in his hand.

“I mean, it sucks,” Finn put it bluntly, “But freedom with some struggle is better than that place.”

“Yeah, it is!” Poe agreed, lifting his mug to cheers.

It took a moment for Finn to realize what Poe was doing, but he caught wind and lifted his borrowed mug to clink before taking a sip of the overly sweet coffee.

“I am so sorry, but, what did you put in this?” asked Finn.

“Cream and sugar. Why? Not sweet enough?”

“No. I usually don’t drink my coffee this sweet. I’m fine with just some cream, and that’s it.”

“Welp, that’s what I get for not asking first. Next time, I’ll remember.”

A smile formed on Poe’s lips, and Finn couldn’t help but smile back. The atmosphere here was so different than what he was used to that he found himself laughing out of nowhere. The joy and relief that coursed through him needed a release, and it came out as a soft chuckle.

“Buddy.” Poe lifted an eyebrow in concern, setting his cup down in favor of placing a friendly hand on his fellow teacher’s shoulder, “You aren’t supposed to have a breakdown until later on in the year. You OK?”

Finn nodded, stifling his laugh, “Yeah, yeah! I’m good. I’m just, I don’t know, happy.”

Hearing those words surprised Poe. Finn seemed so unsure about his joy, and it really threw Poe off.

“You’re acting like you’ve never felt happiness before.”

“I have,” Finn explained, “But life at Palpatine was very structured. It was almost like it was illegal to smile. If you had time to smile, then you had time to study, and you shouldn’t be smiling if you’re studying.”

Finn wagged his fingers as if he was scolding a small child as he spoke. When Poe didn’t react, Finn looked over at his fellow teacher nervously.

“Did I say something wrong?” Finn asked.

Once Finn asked, Poe guffawed.

“Did… Did you just make a joke?”

Relief washed over Finn. “Yeah? Yeah! I did.”

Poe leaned in to wrap his arm around Finn’s shoulders and laughed. Slowly, Finn joined him in laughing, feeling awkward about how he enjoyed being close to Poe like this.

“Dameron!” The voice came from the hallway and called out a few times before the owner popped her head into the room with Poe and Finn.

Before them stood an Asian woman with short black hair that was cropped close to her round face. She bore an adorable smile that was both welcoming and mischievous at the same time. Finn had no idea who she was, but Poe immediately got up to greet her.

“Rose! Long-time no see!” He walked over to her and embraced the woman.

Immediately, Finn felt this emptiness. There was this warmth that Poe carried with him, and as soon as the other man left Finn’s side, the warmth was gone as well. There was a ping of want that surged through Finn for the briefest of moments before he was completely distracted by the moment between his coworkers.

“Dameron! What are you doing in here? Did you forget your classroom again?” She asked him in their embrace.

“I only stay in your class to make sure you’re actually teaching.” He laughed. “Naw, I’m here for our new guy. “

Rose looked over at Finn as she pulled away from her embrace. Her face lit up upon seeing him, a complete stranger. It was so odd to think that people were actually happy to see him. And since she had never met him before, he wondered how she could be happy to see him.

“Hey! I heard we got a new History teacher. I’m Rose Tico. I teach Computer Science and the mechanic elective here.” She stuck out her hand to shake.

Finn politely took her hand, giving her a weak smile, “It is nice to meet you. I’m Finn Severn.”

“He’s from Palpatine.” Poe pointed out.

“That hell-hole?” She asked, looking at Finn in shock. “I didn’t think you could leave that place!”

“Well, our buddy here escaped.”

Finn jumped when he felt Poe’s hand rest on his shoulder. The warmth he felt when they were sitting watching the students walk on campus rushed back, and it was such an odd sensation, but somehow comforting. Finn didn’t want the sensation to leave, but as he felt Poe’s hand slip away, so did the feeling.

“Man, I would love to hear your story.” Rose said, then turned her attention back to Poe, “But I came looking for you. You joining us on Friday?”

“Of course, I am!” Poe said. “And so are you, Finn. You don’t have a choice.”

“Join for what?” Finn asked.

“Drinks at Oga’s. It’s kinda a tradition for us. All us teachers head out to get drinks on the last Friday of the summer. A send-off before we’re drowning in work, and then, what’s free time?” Rose explained.

“Oh. No. I can’t impose,” Finn shook his hands in front of him, trying to reject the offer.

Poe wrapped his arm around Finn’s shoulder and patted his hand on Finn’s chest, “Too late, buddy. You’re joining us! You’re the new guy, we gotta welcome you somehow!”

As the same warmth flooded through Finn once more, he felt a smile form on his lips. He felt almost shy about it, but the amount of joy he was experiencing was immeasurable. Having friends, or people he could become friends with, wasn’t something he was used to, but he dreamed about it. Being accepted and wanted was something he never felt at Palpatine, but now he felt it here, and he knew he wasn’t going to leave.

“Alright. Alright! I’ll come!” Finn surrendered.

“That’s what I’m talking about,” Poe squeezed Finn a little closer.

“Great! I will see you then, Finn. I can’t wait to learn more about your time at Palpatine!” Rose leaned in to place her hand on Finn’s shoulder, “And see you there, Dameron.”

Rose waved goodbye to the two of them and headed back to her classroom.

“Ok! So, I actually don’t know where this place is.” Finn admitted.

“Don’t worry. I’ll pick you up.”

Poe reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, which he quickly unlocked.

“Alright, buddy. What’s your number?”

Though Finn was flabbergasted, he told Poe his number.

“Will I be on the way, though?” Finn asked.

“It’s OK. I really don’t mind. I’d rather you be there.” Poe said as he typed something into his phone. He then paused and took a quick selfie.

Finn’s phone began to buzz in his pocket. He pulled it out and saw an unknown number there, texting him. Once unlocked, he saw Poe’s text and his selfie.’ It read:

_Save my number. And here’s a selfie to save as my photo._

A smile played across Finn’s face. Somehow this single text made Finn amazing. It wasn’t just because it was from Poe, who was still charming in text form, but it felt like he had a friend.

Finn replied with his address, “There you go.”

“Then I guess I’ll see you Friday. I should go back and finish up my classroom.”

As Poe left, Finn couldn’t help but smile. He never thought he would be part of a school that would treat him this well. It was what he was looking for when he started looking for a new job. He looked down at his phone, staring at the photo of Poe, and he couldn’t stop smiling. Though, he wasn’t sure if it was the picture that was making him smile, or if it was the fulfillment he was feeling.

Either way, he felt great.


	4. The Last Friday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is the last free Friday before school starts back up, so the teachers decide to let loose and have some fun. Finn discovers that he is starting to feel like this new place is home, and maybe he enjoys spending some time with a certain English teacher.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading!
> 
> I wanted to get these chapters out to basically show anyone interested where the story will be going, but now that they are out, I am going to be slowing down a bit. So chapters won't be coming out so quickly as I focus more on work and other life ventures. Plus, it will give me some time to map out the story. I have some major plot points, but I'm sure you know how it goes. I have a lot of things planned for these two!
> 
> If you're interested in the story, don't forget to leave a kudo and a comment! All the interest thus far is really motivating me to keep going.
> 
> Thank you again!

Friday was there before Finn knew it. He wanted to look his best since this would be his first, and hopefully not last, outing with his new friends, and once he thought about it, his first friends. The black jeans and white shirt seemed to be the perfect look for tonight. It was a bar, after all.

While Finn was getting ready, he kept looking at his phone, to see if Poe contacted him. Since getting Poe’s number, the two had a few correspondences, but no real conversations. There was a text from him that morning reminding Finn of the bar, but since then, nothing. Awaiting his fellow teacher’s text made him anxious. Plus, he didn’t want to be annoying by constantly texting Poe, despite the fact Finn enjoyed talking to the brunette.

As if hearing his wish, Finn’s phone went off with a text from Poe:

_Heading to you! Be there in 10._

Quickly, but hopefully, not too quickly, Finn replied to let Poe know that he would see him soon. It also meant that Finn, who was completely ready to go, had nothing to do for the next ten minutes. He glanced up at his reflection in the mirror and stuffed his phone back into his pocket.

“Uh, hey!” Finn said to his reflection.

Before he knew it, he started to practice introductions to himself. He couldn’t believe how nervous he felt to meet everyone he was going to work with. And deep down inside, he felt this need to impress Poe as well. He was so effortlessly cool, and Finn was just so awkward.

His phone began to buzz in his back pocket as the ringtone went off. Finn went to look at it to discover Poe was right outside. After doing a quick pat-down: wallet, phone, keys, Finn headed out to meet Poe.

Outside, Poe waited for him. He stood outside his car and was looking at his phone, but the moment he heard Finn leave his apartment building, he looked up.

“Ah! Good to know I got the right place. Alright, buddy, get in.” Poe said, sliding back into his car.

The car was an older one, and Finn tried to remember what kind it was. It took him a moment, but then he remembered: Cutlass 442. Poe had his gray and orange. It was an odd color combination, but it somehow fit Poe.

Once in the car, Finn noticed Poe’s outfit. Even sitting, Finn could tell the brunette was wearing well fitted gray slacks and a white button-down. Like the photo Finn original saw, his sleeves were rolled up, exposing his forearms, and Finn wondered if Poe was even able to wear a full sleeve.

“You ready?” He asked.

“You know it!” Finn forced some excitement to hide how nervous he was.

“Everyone’s gonna love you, but they are gonna ask a lot of questions about Palpatine.”

“Figured. But it’s fine. I don’t mind.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah! I mean, I have a bunch of questions for you guys. I didn’t even know Skywalker had an elective to fix cars.”

“Oh yeah! It is pretty awesome. And if Rose likes you, she’ll let you use the garage to work on your own car, like I did with mine.” Poe patted the dash.

“You fixed this one up yourself?”

“You know it.”

Poe beamed with pride, and Finn, once again, found himself smiling back. The man once never smiled, but he couldn’t help it now. Whenever Poe smiled, Finn was overwhelmed with the need to smile back. His smile was still awkward, but it was getting more relaxed and comfortable.

The idle conversation went on for another 5 minutes, which was how long it took for them to get to the bar. Apparently, Finn lived relatively close to it, which was nice to know.

Once parked, the pair walked into the bar, and it felt like Finn walked in with a celebrity when everyone turned to greet Poe. Finn felt himself fade into the background, but he didn’t mind. He enjoyed watching Poe get all the attention. He looked so happy as he greeted everyone.

Poe stopped and turned around to face Finn, “And this is Finn. Our new history teacher.”

The teachers turned to face him and started to give Finn the attention they were giving Poe. It was so much, but Finn wasn’t overwhelmed. He wasn’t the biggest fan of attention, but all these people were being so friendly, and he felt this emptiness in his heart become full. He was so deprived of friendship that he hadn’t realized how desperately he wanted it until now.

After introductions, Rose Tico found Finn, giving him a hug in greeting.

“You made it!”

“Thanks to Poe,” Finn said.

“Of course, it’s because of him. Did he uber the both of you, or drive his baby?”

“The Cutlass?”

“Yup! Helped him fix that baby up. Looks great, doesn’t it?”

Finn nodded, “Yeah, you both did great. I loved to see the garage sometime.”

“You’re more than welcome. Oh!” Rose’s attention was pulled away and she waved to someone behind Finn, “Rey!”

Finn turned to find a petite girl walking into the bar. Her fair skin and short brown hair seemed unremarkable, but Finn couldn’t help but noticed that she was very pretty. Her almond-shaped brown eyes were striking. And then she smiled, and it was so warm and welcoming, a lot like Poe’s. But, while his held mischief, hers held kindness.

Rey made her way over to Rose, and the two hugged in greeting.

“Rose, it is so good to see you!” Rey’s British accent surprised Finn. He wasn’t expecting anyone to have an accent here.

“Rey! This is Finn, the new history teacher. Finn? This is Rey, our athletic director, but she teaches stats, too.”

Now it was Finn’s turn to receive that warm smile that felt like home to him. It felt safe and comforting to the point where Finn found himself relaxing in her presence.

“It’s great to meet you, Rey.”

“Lovely to meet you too, Finn.”

He shook her hand, and her grip was stronger than he expected from someone so small. She was clearly small but strong, and Finn was impressed. She didn’t look it, but she could probably kick everyone’s ass over at Palpatine, all while they were laughing thinking she couldn’t even do a single pushup.

The three of them were quickly lost in conversation. They asked him a lot about Palpatine, and while Finn wanted to open up about his time there, there were a few things he wasn’t ready to talk about. Even through all the hardships, he wasn’t ready to talk about the terrible things he went through or had to put his students through. He still felt the need to protect his old school.

School hadn’t even started, and Finn felt more at home than he ever had at the place he once called home. He was starting to discover that home wasn’t a place, but the people you surround yourself with, and the teachers at this school were the people he wanted to surround himself with.

Rose was outgoing and friendly. She constantly checked in with Finn to make sure he was included in the conversation. When Finn was vague with answers about Palpatine, she didn’t push him. It was clear to even him, someone who wasn’t great with the subtleties of casual conversations, that she was taking his feelings into consideration. If he didn’t bring it up, then he wasn’t ready to talk about it, which was very much true. He feared the judgment that might come from hearing about how he used to teach or the punishments he had to invoke. Maybe one day he would inform them of what it was like, but he wasn’t there yet.

Rey was kind and friendly. He couldn’t say he was motherly like Leia was, but she really felt like family. From meeting her, she seemed to slide right into a part of his life he never thought he was missing out on. He was told that his then classmates and now fellow teachers were his family, but he certainly never felt like that. He felt like an outcast, unwanted, and isolated by everyone around him. Rey was sweet, with a hint of sarcasm hidden behind those kind eyes.

The two made him laugh, and he realized that he was laughing more now than he had in his whole life. This was what he wanted.

Finn’s eyes glanced around the crowd, looking for the missing piece of what was making him feel like this was his new home: Poe. It didn’t take long for him to see his fellow teacher at the bar talking to the barkeep.

Rose caught Finn looking over at the brunette, “Of course he’s over there.”

Not knowing much about Poe, Finn was confused by the statement, “Why?”

“Oh,” Rey stepped in, “That’s Zorii. She owns the bar.”

“Yeah, and her and Poe were a thing a while back.” Rose chimed in.

He knew he didn’t have any right, but there was a ping of disappointment that rang through him. Finn could feel the disappointment washing over his face, but he quickly blinked it away.

“Oh.” Was all he could say in reply.

Rose eyed Finn for a moment, before turning back to Poe and waving him over, “Poe!”

Poe looked over to the group and gave Zorii a quick goodbye before heading back to everyone. He wrapped one arm around Rey and had a drink in his other hand.

“Good evening, beautiful.” He greeted her.

In response, Rey reached over and grabbed the drink from his hand, “Honestly, how much have you had?”

Playfully, Poe tried to reach for his drink, but Rey was expertly able to keep it away from him. It was almost as if they were dancing, as Rey played keep away. Even Rose joined in to keep the drink away from Poe. He noticed how the drink passed from one girl to another, and he tried to go over to Rose to get it back, but instead, she downed it.

A soft chuckled came from Rey, and Finn couldn’t help but hear how musical her laugh was. If he weren’t laughing from the interaction already, her laugh would’ve brought a smile to his face.

Rose put the cup on the countertop and stuck out her tongue in disgust. “Oh gross. What was that?”

“Bourbon.” Poe replied, “And not the cheap stuff.”

“Not the good stuff either,” Rose said. “I’m getting something to get this taste out.”

“I’m getting a drink too.” Rey added, “Did you want something, Finn?”

Finn looked down at his glass. At Palpatine, he only ever had wine, which was what he was drinking now. Usually, he only had a glass with dinner, but right now, he really felt like he needed to fit in, and everyone else was drinking. The only problem was, he didn’t know what to drink.

The silence was growing longer, so Finn just looked up at Rey and smiled, “Surprise me.”

In return, Rey gave him a smile and a nod before heading to the bar with Rose to order their drinks.

While his eyes were on the two women, Finn suddenly felt an arm around him. The strong smell of alcohol filled his nostrils. Poe leaned on his fellow teacher, that bright smile still on his face.

“Having fun?” Poe asked.

“Yeah. You too, apparently.”

“Last Friday of freedom. I gotta.”

“Are you not excited to get back to work?”

Poe leaned away from Finn, slipping into a nearby chair. He sat on the corner of the chair, legs spread, and an arm draped over the back of the chair. Leaning back, he kicked over another chair for Finn, which he took.

“I am,” Poe replied. “But breaks are nice too. Helps clear the head, and sometimes the pressure… Well, I’m sure you know.”

“I mean, yeah. We got a lot of pressure at Palpatine: students and teachers. And seeing how I was both, I know.”

“Wait. Both?” Poe asked.

“Yeah. Before I was a teacher, I was a student there.”

“Why the hell did your parents put you in a school like that?” Poe almost sounded insulted.

“Easy. I didn’t have any. I was an orphan, and I was put into the school when I was a kid. It was all I ever knew.” Finn shrugged off the question. It wasn’t a big deal to him, but it seemed like a big deal to Poe. Concern washed over the other man's face.

“Aw, man. I am so sorry, buddy.” Poe placed a kind hand on Finn’s shoulder, “I can’t even imagine.”

“It’s alright,” Finn said, placing a hand on Poe’s, “When I was a kid, I felt like I was missing out, but I’m doing alright now.”

There was a moment of silence as the two men looked at each other, eyes locked on the others. Though their eyes were on the other’s, Finn became acutely aware of the fact his hand was still on Poe’s. All Finn could think about was how warm the other man’s hand was. He could feel the warmth radiating from it, and it brought a strange amount of comfort. Subconsciously, Finn ran his thumb over Poe’s hand, slowly and gently, taking in the soft skin between Poe’s thumb and finger. It wasn’t until Finn noticed Poe’s eyes drifted over to their hands did Finn take his hand away, and Poe did the same.

That whole moment was only a few seconds, but Finn felt like it lasted an hour, and there was a whisper in his heart that yearned for something longer. The whisper was drowned out by the return of Rose and Rey, though, and Finn found himself grateful for their interruption.

Rey placed another glass of wine before Finn, “I just asked for the best wine they had.”

“How much?” He asked, grateful for the distraction from his racing heart.

“Don’t worry about it. Consider it a welcome gift.” Rey patted his back before grabbing another seat to join them.

“And you owe me $15, Mr. Dameron,” Rose said as she placed a glass in front of Poe, taking the last chair at the table.

Poe shifted in his chair to pull out his wallet from his back pocket, handing Rose a twenty. “Keep the change.”

“Oh, I was gonna anyway.” Rose stuffed the bill into her pocket.

Soon, the three were chatting away. Rose and Poe went off about their love for cars. Even Rey chimed in, seeming to be knowledgeable on the subject as well. Finn thought he knew a lot about cars, but with these three, he felt out of place, as if he knew nothing about the subject.

All three had the amazing ability to make him feel like he was constantly included, even when they were deep in their own conversation. He only knew the girls for the night, and they made him feel like they had been friends for years, and Finn couldn’t help but smile.

This feeling was pure bliss, and Finn found himself lost in it. Poe did too, as he continued drinking, it seemed. The more he drank, the more control he took over the conversation. Rose didn’t let him completely take over though. The more she drank, the more aggressive she got. Finn looked over at Rey, who still had her original glass, and she was just laughing at her two coworkers who were currently fighting over who could build the better car.

Finally, Rey pointed out the time, and how they should all get home, “And neither of you two are driving. I’m sure Zorii is fine with your cars staying overnight.”

Rey stuck out her hand, and like a child being punished, Poe placed his keys in it. She eyed Rose, who grinned.

“Jokes on you, I Ubered here.”

“Well, I’ll drive you home then.” Rey said, “What about you, Finn? Poe drove you here, didn’t he?”

Before Finn could reply, Poe spoke up, “He’s pretty close, actually. If you don’t mind, I could walk you home, and I’ll take an Uber from there. It’ll help me sober me up some.”

“Fair. You got him, Finn?” Rey asked.

“Yeah. Have a great night. See you all on Monday.” Finn waved as he watched Rey walk up to Zorii and give her Poe’s keys, which she took and seemed to drop them into a drawer.

The two girls walked out, and Finn finally noticed how empty the place was. He hadn’t noticed how many people had already left. Apparently, he was far more engrossed in his conversation than he realized. He turned his attention back to Poe, who was standing up.

“Alright, buddy. Ready to head back?” Poe asked.

“Can you even stand?” Finn teased.

“Of course, I can! I’m not that drunk.”

The two stepped outside and Finn didn’t realize how cold it had gotten. In a crowded bar, it was warm and stuffy, but out here, Finn couldn’t help but shiver.

“Cold?” Poe asked.

Finn was surprised that Poe noticed, “Um, yeah. I guess.”

Without another word to Finn, Poe popped his head back into the bar, “Zorii! I need my keys.”

“No way! I’m not letting you drive.” A call came from inside, and Finn guessed it was Zorii.

“I’m not driving. I need my jacket. It’s in my car.”

No reply came, but instead, Zorii stepped out with his keys in her hands. It was the first time Finn got a good look at her. She was tall and even more stunning up close. She wore her curly hair up in a ponytail to get out of her face, but some strands revolted and fell out. Her green eyes stood out already, but her makeup really made them pop. A smile played on her lips as she held out the keys.

“I get your jacket, and you wait here.”

She eyed Poe, who returned the look and raised his eyebrows.

Zorii laughed as she walked away. “Dear Lord, Poe.”

“Thank you!”

She walked right up to his car and got his jacket with ease. Jealous began to bloom within Finn, and he yelled at himself that he had no right to feel this way. Though the feeling was just a seed within his heart, he forced himself to bury deep within himself. It would never see the sun or be watered. These feelings were not allowed to grow.

Zorii returned and tossed Poe his jacket. Before heading back in she turned to the two of them, “Have a great night. And, Finn, right?”

“Um, yeah. Zorii?”

“That’s me. Talk to you later. Take care of him?” She nodded to Poe.

“I can take care of myself!” Poe defended himself.

“I got him.” Finn laughed, and while a voice in his head told him not to like her, he found himself thinking she was charming.

She gave them a small wave before walking back inside, leaving them alone once more.

Poe rolled his eyes, “Wow. Anyway. Here.”

Poe tossed his jacket to Finn for him to wear.

“Wait. What?”

“You were cold, right?”

“Yeah, but what about you?”

“Buddy? I run hot, and those drinks are still keeping me warm. You wear it for now.”

Finn pressed his lips together to make sure his smile didn’t get too big. He didn’t fight it though. He just slipped the brown leather jacket on, and, luckily for him, it fit pretty well.

The two began to walk together, and Finn found himself lost in the bliss he felt from wearing this man’s jacket and just walking with him.

“Have a nice time?” Poe broke the silence.

“Yeah!” Finn answered far too quickly. “I mean, Rey and Rose are really great.”

Before he knew it, they were back into idle conversation. They spoke about what the students were like. They talked about cars. They soon were on Poe’s favorite subject, movies. He was sobering up, but he still had enough energy to act out some of his favorite scenes. Finn felt so terrible because he didn’t know any of them. Sure, he had heard of them, but he never saw them. Confessing this made Poe gasp in alarm.

“You’ve never seen any of these?” Poe asked.

“Nope.” Finn cringed in embarrassment.

“Hot Fuzz? Ghostbusters? Forrest Gump? E.T? Psycho? The Silence of the Lambs? The Producers?”

“You keep saying these titles, but I promise, I haven’t seen them.”

Poe wrapped his arm around Finn to pull him closer, and he placed his hand on Finn’s chest, “You, my friend, are gonna come over, and I’m gonna give you a movie-cation! And I’m not taking no as an answer.”

“Then, I guess, yes.”

“It’s a date.”

Just at the mention of the word, Finn could feel his heart begin to race. He began to wonder if the borrowed jacket was needed because his whole body felt like it was heating up from blushing.

“Oh. We’re here.” Poe pointed out.

Finn looked up to his new apartment building. The disappointment Finn felt was surprising. He wanted this walk to last longer, but it was looking like it was coming to a close. However, Finn was tired, and bed sounded really nice.

While Poe took out his phone to look for an Uber, Finn began to take off the jacket. The movement caught Poe’s attention, and he turned to look at Finn instead.

“Whoa. What are you doing?” He asked.

“Uh? You need your jacket, don’t you?”

Poe reached out and placed his hand on Finn’s shoulder, “Naw. You keep it. It suits you.”

Poe’s eyes drifted from Finn’s waists to his face, admiring how the jacket looked on the other man. He bit down on his bottom lip, realizing how good Finn looked in it. Clearly, the other man pulled it off much better than he ever did.

Lights came down the street, and Poe’s attention was pulled away from Finn to the car coming.

“That must be my ride. I guess I’ll be seeing you soon.”

With arms open, Poe pulled Finn into a hug. He still smelled of alcohol, but there was a faint smell of some kind of cologne there. Finn couldn’t identify it, but it suddenly became his favorite smell, and he wanted to stay in this embrace, smelling it.

Poe held onto Finn tightly, and Finn returned the hug, trying to express that he would be OK if it lasted a little longer. But it couldn’t. The Uber pulled up, and Poe pulled away, checking the license plate to what was on his phone.

“Welp! See ya, buddy.”

“See ya.”

The two parted ways, and Finn took out his keys to go back into his apartment. Once inside, he did end up taking off the jacket, hanging up on the hooks on the other side of his door. Just for a moment, he stood there, looking at the jacket, running his fingers against it. Suddenly, this jacket became his favorite possession.

On his way to bed, Finn found himself unable to stop smiling. Tonight was going down as one of the best nights of his life.


End file.
